Children are what they eat

There’s so much research around the importance of a healthy diet for children that sometimes it can be difficult to keep track of it all. Is fruit juice a good thing because of the vitamins, or bad because of the sugar? Should we serve red meat because of the iron, or is it too fatty to be good for you?

It might be a challenge to keep up with current foodie research but as nursery owners we take our responsibilities very seriously in this area. Together with Kaz, the cook, we devise menus which take into account up-to-date information on the kind of foods that children need in order to build healthy bodies. We serve lots of fruit and vegetables, lots of wholegrains and lean meat. Fish is served twice a week, including one portion of oily fish and we offer a range of pulses such as lentils and butter beans as part of the recipes.

On top of this, we have to consider what the children will actually enjoy eating. This is where Kaz’s skills come into play, creating tasty meals that will be happily eaten. She replaces sugar in desserts with fruit, mixes wholegrain with white pasta and does the same for flour in baking. Fruit juice is served with lunch and tea, because the vitamin C in the juice helps with the absorption of iron in the food. And yes, we serve red meat in moderation, too, in line with current advice.

It all adds up to delicious menus which are as healthy as can be, and lots of full tummies as well.